Polled At Last: STEELY DAN - ILM Artist poll #50

"daddy don't live in that new york city no more" is one of the most straightforward songs in the SD catalog, both musically and lyrically, but it's such a great, tight little blues-rock number. but most important, i have learned in the past couple of weeks that it sounds ridiculously great at loud volume through a decent set of speakers. i mean, so do most SD songs. but something about the way the groove in "new york city" came across at volume made a huge difference to me.

"western world" was the loser of the ncaa-style play-in game i created for the final spot on my poll. it and my other non-album-track contender were vying for a spot that was in the teens, not #20, but the loser would end up with nothing. this is what i was doing sunday night when i realized ballots were due.

wow "western world" was my #3. do i have bad taste or something??

jk just feeling disproportionately bitter about an internet message board poll

I didn't realize they had two studio-quality songs that weren't 'on the albums til this poll, tbqf

I mean I've only lived with FM and HATWW for a few days but I'd already rank it higher than the majority of PL and TRS

yeah i think "Western" is a blind spot for a lot of people just because it was neither on a proper album nor a hit like "FM." that said, i don't feel too strongly about it myself, although it's good.

yeah, my #5.

do i have bad taste or something??

there is no doubt whatsoever that every one of us will discover at some point during this rollout that we have bad taste. except for pplains, whose images exempt him from such accusations.

his gifs are horrific

'The Second Arrangement' is already popping into my head at random points in the past few days, I'll probably have a dream soon where I hear a studio-quality rendition only to forget it when I wake up

My friend gave me a bootleg of Gaucho outtakes and Katy Lied outtakes, just haven't really spent any time with those at all (Katy Lied outtakes are unlabeled unfortunately)

there is no doubt whatsoever that every one of us will discover at some point during this rollout that we have bad taste. except for pplains, whose images exempt him from such accusations.

TRUE

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wGMJ1BlQPGY/Uz4J_FSyzFI/AAAAAAAAAPg/deYok2d_2YQ/w640-h320-no/46. Green+Earrings.jpg

46. Green Earrings
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
259 Points, 13 Votes, 1 Number One

I think we have to ration our "too lows"--maybe two each, max?
I was tempted to bust one out for "Brooklyn" but instead tried to assuage the pain by indulging in a little jejune "Don & Glenn" parody....

i remain shocked that no one suggested "polled, daring, no flies on me" when puns for this thread's title were being thrown around.

I think we have to ration our "too lows"--maybe two each, max?

too few!

My Gaucho Outtakes bootleg has two arrangements of The Second Arrangement! Nice

except for pplains, whose images exempt him

Gonna remember this the first time the wrong album or year is posted with the wrong song.

Hey, it happened with the Hüskers.

too low

actually, perhaps we can stipulate right now that, since everybody here likes every song steely dan ever did, except for the one person who sort of doesn't like "dirty work," every song, including our #1, will in fact be too low.

Hey, it happened with the Hüskers.

it's their own damn fault for not singing into the mics circa zen arcade.

in re: "Here at the Western World", i always considered it Dan canon because the Greatest Hits + Aja were the entirety of my dad's SD collection. So for me "HATWW" was as much a typical Dan song as "My Old School"

also, the inner sleeve of Greatest Hits greatly disturbed me when I was like 7 or so:

http://thriftyvinyl.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/dsc04287.jpg

It took the outtake of 'Glamour Profession' to realize that the opening drumline is basically the Billie Jean drumline

I too was disturbed by that image in my youth........and I always thought they sang "young skinny girls" on "HWW"....I mean look at those guys!

That font and that apartment are SO Woody Allen '78

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YIYZVxFdK7Y/Uz4RRmE8lHI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/nwzbbtcxoHg/w640-h320-no/The+Fez.jpg

45. The Fez
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
264 Points, 13 Votes

-_-

ha ha ha that image.

Can't even believe Green Earrings didn't make my ballot. Switched it out last minute for another TRS track. Could say the same thing about Sign In Stranger, actually. But the guitar solo in this is one of my favorites!

Was expecting a Trojans ad xp



*Green Earrings*
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
259 Points, 13 Votes, *1 Number One*



*45. The Fez*
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
264 Points, 13 Votes

On disc, the one-two punch of The Fez and Green Earrings is devastating.

looool at the Fez pic. Didn't vote for it, but in another Steely Dan poll syncronicity, my son asked me to buy him a fez for his birthday (a Doctor Who thing).

http://filmcrithulk.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/11-doctor-fez-570x321.jpg

love the fez.

fezzes are cool

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eIs9f2Zossk/Uz4UStcbrZI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/75C7G4WZRe0/w578-h552-no/steely_dan-the_fez_s_1.jpg

Max Fischer agrees.

that image is from the single:

7" Single ABC 12222

1. The Fez 3:59
2. Sign In Stranger 4:22

It's early to be breaking out an A-frame!

The sheer contempt of "Daddy Don't..." is so great, especially when Fagen leans into "we know you're smoking wherever you are." I also have a soft spot for flagrantly rhyming "Hackensack" with "paper sack" - not even "paper bag!"

That font and that apartment are SO Woody Allen '78

This is totally facile but these guys are basically the closest rock equivalent to the New Hollywood types, right?

the fez! NTI otm, though green earrings ultimately was cut from my ballot.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TT9ElBdL8gI/Uz4W9UWWEZI/AAAAAAAAARg/SKFnRSpW5qg/w640-h320-no/Charlie+Freak.jpg

44. Charlie Freak
From: Pretzel Logic
Released: February 20, 1974
268 Points, 12 Votes, 1 Number One

"Fez" and "Green Earrings" are so twinned in my mind, and on the album, it's funny to see them side by side here too.

Love Charlie Freak so much. Not sure if anyone will agree but something about it reminds me of Spoon. I think it'd be a great song for them to cover.

that's funny, i'm also doing the Spoon poll.

Love the sleigh bells on "Charlie Freak". Surprised "Throw Back The Little Ones" didn't place higher - hot licks & rhetoric don't poll much for nothing, &c.

What is that reedy instrument in the background? I always picture it as an old wind-up street organ, with a dancing monkey.

...in your soul?

yes.

is the number one voter going to reveal themselves?

it was iago, no?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oMdi8LOUOiE/Uz4bH6E48rI/AAAAAAAAASM/eZV_wac-APs/w640-h320-no/Everyone%2527s+Gone+To+the+Movies.jpg

43. Everyone's Gone To the Movies
From: Katy Lied
Released: March 1975
302 Points, 17 Votes

I only really got into Steely Dan earlier this year. It was fun playing spot the sample on The Royal Scam. The Fez being used by All Saints, Green Earrings used by Ice Cube and Kid Charlemagne (which will hopefully be a lot higher) which Kanye West sampled.